Falling in Love with Hermione Granger
by mccabbages
Summary: When Fred is dared to date Hermione until she professes she loves him, will he be the one doing the professing instead? In-progress. Feedback decides if it's continued long-term. If low feedback, will simply be a series of one shots to form a story.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, this is a new story I'm working on. Feedback will decide whether or not I continue it. If feedback dwindles down to nothing during the story process too, then I'll probably stop writing then too. I just don't want to write when nobody likes it, you know? Anyway. Here's the first installment. Let me know what you think!

I don't own Harry Potter nor do I make money off writing about it.

- Hattie

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FALLING IN LOVE WITH HERMIONE GRANGER

Fred

I snuck into the library as inconspicuously as I could manage. Being a 6'3" redheaded, freckled male, this was quite a feat on my part. I slipped between the tightly packed bookshelves, trying as hard as I could to figure out the layout of the room. I'd never been in there before, so I was finding it difficult to be swift and get through the students and the floating books to the study tables.

But 'lo and behold, there was my newest target. A particular bushy-haired, brown-eyed and slightly buck-toothed girl bent over a book, her quill scribbling rapidly. I stood there, waiting until Lavender Brown and Padma Patil entered the library like George said they would. They sat a few tables over from Hermione, but still at a relatively useful distance. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I approached my latest dare.

"_Freddie, my boy. I have a new challenge for you." George taunted me, dangling a bag of Honeyduke's candies in front of my face. My mouth watering with my traditional Weasley appetite, I nodded at him._

"_Yeah? What's that?"_

"_I dare you to get Hermione Granger to profess her love for you. Romantically, not some platonic shit."_

"_Wait, you want me to what?" I stared at him in disbelief. He wanted me to play with a girl's feelings until she expressed her love for me and then to dump her? Well. That's what's happened with all the other girls I've dated. "Fine, mate. You've got a bet."_

I did feel a little bad about using Hermione to get a bag of candy, especially since she was so innocent. But I suppose that since she was a girl - and an attractive one at that - it would have come down to this eventually.

Thinking back on it, I never had had a single girlfriend that wasn't the product of a dare of some kind from George or Lee. I played Angelina Johnson until she snogged me for thirty Galleons. I flirted with Lavender Brown until she asked me out in front of the Gryffindor breakfast table for a bag of assorted (expensive) Zonko's pranks. It was only fair to spread my games a little further down the line, I supposed.

Positioning myself across the table from Hermione, I put on a "could-you-please-help-me" smile and sat down. She barely looked up to acknowledge my arrival, however, so I coughed a bit until she finally set her quill down and raised her eyes to mine.

I had never fully registered just how attractive she was until that point. Her brown eyes, which from afar looked dull and rather uninviting, were inspiring and very much like chocolate up close. I looked into them much longer than socially acceptable, only stopping when she raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, Fred?"

"Ah, Hermione, glad you noticed I was here." I winked at her with a small smirk, and she nodded, unfazed.

"Yeah, sorry it took me a minute, I had to finish the paragraph I was writing for Charms."

"Charms! That's exactly the class I could do with a spot of help in. Care to supply?" I sent a heart-stopping grin her way, which seemed to either go over her head or simply not impress her.

"You want a fifth year's help with Charms. You're a seventh year. What makes you think I could help?"

"You're Hermione Granger. You must have heard. Brightest witch of your age and all that?" I winked at her again, and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, sure. How I love to hear that." She looked down at her Charms essay, already at least three feet long, scribbled a few more words down and then began rolling it up into a need scroll. She left the bottom line uncovered, though, and made an adorable pucker face at it as she blew a bit of air to dry the fresh ink. "All right, Fred. What do you need help with?"

I tugged her textbook over to me, and flipped through the pages to appear as though I were looking for a specific chapter. Reaching one I had mostly forgotten, I turned the book around to face her and stuck my finger on the bold heading.

"This one. We're reviewing in Charms 7 and I can't remember any of it."

"The silencing charm? Really?" I nodded enthusiastically. "Alright. Well. Try it on me." She opened her mouth and let out a slight hum, waiting for me to pull out my wand and silence the sound.

"_Silenciendo_." I purposely butchered the incantation, pretending to be confused when her sound didn't even waver.

"Oh, that's simple enough. That's completely the wrong word. It's _Silencio, _not _Silenciendo._ Try it again." She continued her humming.

"_Silencio._" I attempted again, laughing when the gentle tune of her humming abruptly stopped.

She nodded, motioning me on with her hand. I raised my eyebrow at her, completely confused as to what she was asking me to do. After several more tries, she finally rolled her eyes and grabbed her quill, scratching down on a spare piece of parchment, '_Countercharm.' _

I widened my eyes, legitimately unsure of what the incantation to reverse the silence was. Again, she rolled her eyes, grabbed her own wand and, pointing it at herself, mouthed the incantation. As the last syllable was mouthed, her voice came back.

"Hermione, you can do wordless magic?" I asked her, dumbfounded.

"Yes, of course. You can't?"

"Not in a few seconds like you just did. It takes me up to a minute to get it to work completely." She shrugged and shuffled all her things together before slipping them into her bookbag.

"Well, just work on it and it'll work out. But I have to get back to the common room. Harry is due back from his detention at any minute and I ought to be there to take care of his hand."

She was not going to make dating her easy, what with the mood-killer Umbridge was.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed/followed/favorited, it means a lot to me. I'll definitely be continuing this story for you all.

I know it's been a while, but I hadn't checked my email so I had no idea that it had even been read yet. So I'm sorry. I wrote a chapter in about an hour and a half to get it up right away, so I hope it's mostly good quality and that you don't hate me.

Most of my chapters will be around 1000 words each, which is kind of short but I'm hoping it'll let me post more often.

If you have ideas on what you want to see in a story like this, let me know. And if you have any tips on improving my writing, give me that too. Basically all forms of review are welcome as long as they aren't rude.

Thank you again! Here's chapter two.

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FALLING IN LOVE WITH HERMIONE GRANGER

Hermione

Rolling over, I slammed my hand down on my ringing alarm clock and sat up, scratching my scalp through my tangled mess of hair. I honestly don't know why I hadn't shaved it all off yet - half the time it was simply there to annoy me and everyone else around me. Sighing, I pushed my blankets off, shivering briefly with the sudden lack of heat. I got up and out of bed, shuffling groggily over to the mirror above my bedside table. Grabbing my wand from underneath my pillow, I mumbled _Scourgify _on various parts of my body, especially my hair. It took several other charms, however, to detangle it and get it to actually follow the path gravity and I preferred. It was still curly and those curls sort of curled into bigger curls and so on, making a mess, but I liked to think I had at least begun to grow into it. At least I wasn't getting teased about it anymore.

Changing into Muggle jeans and a T-shirt for the Weird Sisters I slipped on a pair of shoes and left my dormitory to find Harry and Ron. Since today was the second Saturday of the month, there was a Hogsmeade visit, and the two of them would probably drag me to Honeydukes and I would probably drag them to Flourish and Blotts. I figured it was a decent system, considering.

I found them waiting for me in the common room, Harry wincing as he accidentally bumped the fresh scar on the back of his hand from his detention. Ron and I both grimaced at the sight, and quickly looked away.

"Hey, 'Mione. We figured we could go on ahead and go down, and maybe eat at The Three Broomsticks instead of the Great Hall for a change." Ron offered, and I nodded, my mind on Umbridge. My attention quickly snapped to the arm snaking its way around my waist, however, and I spun around, slipping my wand into my hand from my sleeve. Seeing it was just Fred, I relaxed slightly, but still on edge from his library visit the day before.

"Hello, love," he greeted me, and I noticed Ron's face go red out of the corner of my eye. Not breaking eye contact with Fred, I nodded slightly before pulling away to stand by Harry.

"Are you heading to Hogsmeade today?" Harry asked him, bringing his elbow up to use my shoulder as an armrest casually.

"But of course, my good man," George answers cheerfully, entering the common room behind Fred. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Old cow Umbridge'll take that from us soon enough, anyway. Might as well enjoy it while we can." Fred explained grimly.

Suddenly feeling much older than sixteen, I shook Harry off. "We should head down now if we want to avoid the crowd, you two. Let's go."

Ron shrugged and followed me out the portrait hole, Harry close behind. I could hear the Weasley twins muttering at each other just before the portrait closed, but my mind was already off of them and Umbridge and back to the impending Hogsmeade visit.

Fred

"I don't think she's interested in you at all, mate." George snickered at me, collapsing in a chair in front of the fire. "I knew picking a prude for your dare would work to my benefit."

"Oh, c'mon, don't call her that. I think she's just oblivious to what flirting is."

"Or she's a prude," he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Whatever, mate. Do you want to go down and get breakfast or what?"

"I s'pose."

Hermione

I felt a smile come onto my face the moment I entered Flourish and Blotts. Anywhere that books covered every square inch of wall space was where I was truly myself. I was content to wander through shelves, searching for just the right book in the perfect condition. Of course, I could never do that properly with Harry and Ron whining about wanting to go somewhere else every three steps, so I sent them off early on.

Running my fingers along worn and new spines, I browsed for a new copy of Hogwarts: A History because my copy of five years had finally reached its end when the binding snapped two days ago. I had tried to repair it with magic, but some things magic just couldn't completely restore. And anyway, I had reasoned, they were coming out with a newer edition every year with more and more facts that I had been completely missing out on.

At the end of my third aisle I had finally found it: one brand new copy, 1995 edition with ten more chapters than my previous 1991 had had. Feeling stupidly excited about this book, I immediately made my way over to the checkout desk, rummaging through my coin purse for four Galleons. Having difficulty finding the larger coins, I opened my purse further just as it became my turn to step forward. I laid the book down on the counter and kept rummaging, confused about where all my money had gone. I was about to apologize and take the book back to the shelf when four gold coins were dropped into the cashier's waiting palm by a freckled hand.

Looking up, I locked eyes with none other than Fred Weasley, who was grinning down at me like a puppy waiting for its treat. A handwritten receipt was handed to me along with my book in a little bag, and I left the line, Fred easily matching my stride to the exit.

"Not even a thank you?"

"Oh - I'm sorry. Thank you. I think I'm a little frazzled that I lost all my money except a few Sickles and Knuts."

"Ron probably took it. I saw him and Harry eating sugar quills down the road a few minutes ago. Figured I'd figure out where you went."

"Stalking me now, are you?" I gave him a small smile, heading in the direction of Honeydukes, hoping to bump into Harry and Ron.

He laughed loudly, bumping his elbow into me. "Well, you are the most interesting witch in this village, so it would be likely."

I blinked, unsure of if I should be blushing or not. "Well - thank you, Fred, I think."

"It's definitely meant as a compliment, Hermione."

I nodded. "Then yes, thank you. And thank you for covering the book too, I'll pay you -"

"No, don't. You don't need to owe me anything. It's a gift." He smiled down at me before pushing some of my hair back behind my ear - or attempting to, it was so thick it popped back out - and briefly brushing his thumb along the skin below my ear. It was such a foreign situation to me that I ended up panicking and laughing, turning and walking down the street quickly, my book in front of my chest and aiming for Honeydukes.

Hearing a loud _oof _as I bumped into Ron, he looked at me curiously. "Are you okay, 'Mione? Something happen?"

"Oh, shut it, Ronald." and I kept walking until I reached the carriages heading back up to the castle.


	3. Chapter 3

You're in luck, this chapter is 1200 words long. Hopefully I'll get used to writing longer chapters. The second chapter is the longest so far at 1300, I'll try to get up to an average of 1500 word chapters because I know how much I hate reading short chaptered fics.

Anyway, enjoy, and please please review to tell me what you all think.

-Hattie

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FALLING IN LOVE WITH HERMIONE GRANGER

Fred

Storming into the common room, I threw myself down on the sofa and kicked a stack of books off the coffee table in front of me. Propping my feet up where the books were, I leaned back and groaned, my arm over my eyes. I couldn't believe I had been so forward on only the second day of the dare. I'd probably scared her off and set myself back a week, if not more. Frustrated, I rubbed the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger, opening my eyes when I heard the portrait hole open. Recognizing my twin out of the corner of my eyes, I took my feet off the table and sat up.

"Freddie, something wrong?" George grinned at me, having seen everything that had happened between Hermione and I during the Hogsmeade visit.

"Your stupid bet is tougher than it looks."

"Well, you knew it would be. It's _Hermione._" He rolled his eyes and took a seat on the couch across from me. Leaning forward, I put my elbows on my knees and shook my hair out of my face.

"It'll get done though, and that candy will be mine."

He laughed at me then, shaking his head. "I know it, mate, but it really doesn't take much to make you do stupid things."

I shook my head and got up, leaving George sitting in the common room.

Hermione

Sinking into a chair in the library, I sighed and put my head in my hands. I had just embarrassed myself in front of all the students and residents in Hogsmeade. Hermione Granger, Brightest Witch of her Age, can't carry on a conversation with a boy despite her two best friends being part of that population. I sighed again, loudly, only to get a glare from the passing Madame Pince. I looked down at the closed book on the desk in front of me blankly and tried to push Fred and that traumatizing experience from my mind. With any luck, I'd have scared him off, and he'd stop trying to be my friend or whatever was going on in that mixed up head of his.

Fred

I had to make this right with Hermione. I knew she was embarrassed because she wouldn't meet my eyes at all during breakfast, or anyone else's for that matter. And after lunch I tried to catch up to her to talk to her, but she heard my footsteps and turned to check who it was, speeding up when she noticed it was me. I stopped once she rounded a corner several yards in front of me, pinching my nose between my fingers. Several days had passed since the incident in Hogsmeade, but Merlin, I didn't know girls could be this embarrassed for this long.

"Fred, just forfeit the bet, mate." Lee clamped a hand down on my shoulder. "This is too much work for a bag of candy."

"It's not about the candy anymore. This is my pride on the line. I've never scared a girl off like this. It's bad for my reputation." I was pushing the truth, a little bit. Part of me really felt that way, but the other part actually cared that I had embarrassed Hermione. Nobody in the school had ever talked about it or probably even noticed, but apparently Hermione thought they had. She rarely showed her face in the common room and really only ever talked to Harry and Ron. Even Ginny was complaining that Hermione never wanted to hang out with her anymore. I wasn't looking to hurt Hermione at all. Sure - the bet was a tad cruel, but it wasn't like once she said she loved me I'd drop her like a hot potato. I'd stay with her for a while longer, and then explain something had come up personally and I wasn't prepared for a committed relationship and so on. It'd be hard, but she'd understand. They always did.

"I know that's not true. No one in the school has even noticed you coming on to Hermione. Hardly anyone was at Hogsmeade and honestly - how many people do you ever see in the library besides her?" He rolled his eyes. "Your reputation is not on the line here, mate. I think you're going soft."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Soft?" I snorted. "No. I just take my bets seriously, I guess." Outside I looked nonchalant and distracted, but on the inside I was torn. I knew I wasn't going soft in the way he suggested - that I liked her for real - but maybe I wasn't trying as hard as I had with other girls when the going got tough. Frustrated, I got up, determined to find Hermione.

Hermione

After I had put away the book I had never even opened, I returned to my seat to grab my things but stopped short when I saw a redhead sitting in my seat. Closing my eyes, I almost turned and ran from the library. My plan was foiled, however, when he turned and made eye contact with me. Immediately I was stuck by his eyes - I don't think I had ever actually looked into them. Even from several feet away I could tell they were bright blue, happy yet troubled. He smiled at me gently, and waved a hand for me to come over. I hesitated for several moments before finally taking a step forward towards the table.

Sitting down across from him, I stared at the wood grain on the table, tracing it with a finger.

"Hermione," he said. "I hate that you're avoiding me."

I looked up, startled. "I wasn't -"

"I know you were. You're embarrassed because of what happened in Hogsmeade. I've been trying to get you alone so that I can tell you that I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you at all. I was just-" he stopped short, seeming to mentally berate himself.

"You were just…?"

"I was just trying to show that I think you're a great person," he caught my gaze again, and I could see sincerity in his eyes. "I think you're smart, pretty, funny...I could go on, if you wanted me to."

I couldn't help it. My lips broke out in a smile, and I didn't let my cautious mind make me think it over more. "Well - thank you, Fred. I don't really… I don't really know what to say, I guess." I paused, thinking over my next words carefully. "Compliments typically don't find me."

"Yeah, well. I wanted you to know what I think." He smiled at me again, and I felt my face heat up as I returned it. "Anyway," he said, with a voice that told me the moment was over, "I do believe it's supper time. May I escort you to the Great Hall?"

I widened my eyes at him, nodding as I shuffled my papers into my bag and tried to still my shaking fingers. I could see him grinning at it out of the corner of my eye, but ignored it. Shouldering my bag, I rested my hand in the crook of his outstretched arm. He began to whistle as we left the library, and I felt a weight lift from my chest that I hadn't known was there.


	4. Chapter 4

We get a brief look at George, and I think some will be happy to know he's not a *total* jackass.

This one also has a ton from Fred's POV, hope you don't mind. I'm hoping to get more of Hermione's perspective here in the next couple chapters.

Anyway, they're starting to get closer, and Fred is genuinely enjoying himself! Let's hope he doesn't screw it up. *hint hint*.

This chapter has a grand total of 1611 words. I'm trying to make up for having such short chapters. I think I'll end up having 1000 word chapters with a longer one every few. But I will never, ever post a chapter under 1000 words, because I hate when people do that. xD Anyway.

And I really really really appreciate all the reviews I'm getting. It seriously makes me so happy. Now, not to draw this out too much more so you can get to the story (unless you're a skipper like me), here we go.

Please enjoy, and please review!

* * *

FALLING IN LOVE WITH HERMIONE GRANGER

George

I looked over at Freddie, who was sitting with Hermione and the rest of the trio a few people down the Gryffindor table. Turning back to Lee, I grinned.

"Looks like your half-assed plan might work after all, mate." he complimented.

"I know. He doesn't look like he's playing this one, much, does he?" I smirked proudly and turned to watch them again.

Fred

Harry and Ron hadn't said much when I sat down next to them and Hermione. Ron had looked at me curiously, but as soon as dinner appeared on the table, he was distracted enough to not even give me a second thought. I watched Hermione grimace at the display Ron was putting on out of the corner of my eye, and directed my attention to him.

"Honestly, Ronald, do you have no manners?" Hermione scolded, frowning at how he was shoveling food into his mouth.

"One bite at a time, brother," I supported, shaking my head at him as I began exaggerating small and delicate bites. Hermione smiled at me and laughed, and I couldn't help but grin at how her smile actually reached her eyes. It seemed like since Umbridge and everything else had gone so horribly nobody actually meant it when they were happy anymore.

Harry's attention was directed upward as the evening post came in - many of the owls were carrying rolls of the Daily Prophet. As Hedwig passed by, she dropped one of the newspapers into Harry's mashed potatoes, and Hermione promptly pulled out her wand and cleared the mess. Harry unrolled the paper and blanched at the headline.

"Harry? What's it say?" Hermione asked, putting her wand back in her bag.

"I - ah, there's been a breakout at Azkaban."

"How many escaped?" Ron prompted, trying to reach for the paper.

"It doesn't matter - one of them is Bellatrix," he shook his head, setting the paper down beside him and passing a hand over his face.

Ron and Hermione immediately looked down the table to where Ginny and Longbottom were eating, only Longbottom was snow-white and shaking. Ginny was touching his shoulder and shaking him, asking what was wrong. A second later, he was up and out of the Great Hall. Ron and Harry stood too, following. Hermione turned to look at me apologetically.

"I hate to leave - I'm sorry. I have to go make sure he's okay."

I blinked at her and nodded, confused. What made Longbottom react the way he did? I shook my head and got up, noticing Lee and George had already made space for me.

"What was up with Neville?" Lee questioned, and I shrugged. "I mean I know about the breakout already - but no one else is reacting like him, not even Harry."

"I don't know, mate. Something just freaked him out about it." I presented this nonchalantly, though it was pressing against my head. I made a note to ask Hermione about it later, and grabbed a roll from the breadbasket in front of my plate.

Hermione

I was the last person in the common room later that night at four AM. A mixture of Bellatrix Lestrange and Neville, and Umbridge, and of course my regular studying had me awake for hours every night. I was reading Harry's Potions essay, actually, and fixing his big mistakes. Honestly, if it wasn't for me, he and Ron would fail every class except maybe Divination - but that's hardly a class anyway. I don't know how they've managed to pull good grades without me on the tests, but they've scraped by.

A wave of sudden sleepiness washed over me. Yawning, I leaned back into the couch and closed my eyes.

Fred

I jolted into a sitting position, breaking out of what felt like a deep sleep. As my stomach growled, I realized what caused my brutal awakening. I was hungry.

Grumbling to myself, I pulled the curtains from around my bed aside and got up, sliding into a pair of slippers and ready to sneak down to pay a visit to the house elves. I stopped short upon entering the common room, however, as I was faced with a sleeping and slightly snoring Hermione curled up in an armchair. Glancing at the clock, I noticed it was almost five in the morning, and that she'd probably been up all night until about now. Padding across the carpeting, I crouched down in front of her and gently shook her shoulder.

"Hermione," I murmured, memorizing her sleeping face while I could.

"Fred?" she mumbled back, confused and drunk with sleep.

"Yeah. It's me. You oughta get up and go up to your dorm -"

"No!" inexplicably upset, she buried her face into her arms and went silent again. Perplexed and unsure how to deal with sleeping girls that weren't Ginny, I shook her shoulder again, hoping she'd be more coherent.

"What?" she whined, and I almost laughed except I was slightly afraid of her half-asleep wrath.

"You're sleeping in the common room and it's five AM. Don't you want to get in bed before you have to get up? You only have a few hours left." she groaned and opened her eyes to glare at me. I raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You're cute when you're tired and angry."

"Shut up." she grumbled, unfolding herself from the chair and fumbling with the papers on the table. I quickly took over for her, straightening them and slipping them easily into her bag. "Why are you awake, anyway?"

"I was hungry." I shrugged. "Why were you up so late?"

She scoffed. "Why do you think? I was studying, of course." she eyed me. "I am the Brightest Witch of my Age, after all." she placed a hand on her stomach. "You know, I'm a bit hungry too, I didn't eat much at dinner." She smiled sheepishly.

I mock-gasped at her, covering my mouth with my hand. "No - Hermione wants to break the rules? With a Weasley twin, no less?"

She smacked my arm. "This isn't some rudimentary prank, Fred, this is food."

I grinned at her. "I couldn't have said it better myself." Grabbing her hand, I pulled her out of the chair and through the portrait hole, checking to see if the coast was clear before pulling her along the corridor. I could hear her holding back exhilarated laughter, and I quickly assumed this was the first time she had snuck out, maybe ever. Deciding to make it a bit more exciting for her, I pretended I heard someone coming and grabbed her and tucked us in behind a tapestry. I held her close, my index finger vertical against her lips. She smiled at me, and I held us there for a few moments before peeking out from behind the tapestry. Nodding back at her, I pulled the fabric aside and let her out first before settling it back where it was. I took her hand again and we quickly finished the walk to the kitchens, where I started to show her where to tickle the pear on the painting, only for her to push my hand aside and do it before I even told her anything. Staring at her, surprised, she shrugged and led me inside.

Immediately, a female house elf was in front of us grinning widely. "Anything Milly can do for yous? Drink? Food?" Hermione didn't say anything, so I nodded.

"Hot chocolate and a bit of breakfast foods, please." Hermione looked happy I said 'please', as she smiled at me and pulled me over to a small table off to the side.

"Is S.P.E.W. still a thing, Hermione?"

She snorted. "Like it ever really was, Fred. I'd like it to be. I'll work on it if I get a job at the ministry someday."

"Well, I'm sure that if anyone can change the minds of bigoted witches and wizards, it's you." I smiled at her softly and she blushed.

"Well, thank you, Fred." she looked down at her hands.

"What is it?"

"Um - well, I'll work on S.P.E.W. if there's a future after the war, I guess." I stared at her for the third time that night, shocked. A member of the Golden Trio wasn't sure that we'd win the war. Knowing that wasn't what she'd want to hear, I smiled at her again.

"There will be. With people like you and Harry fighting, it's sure." I paused. "And Ron, I guess. What does he do exactly? Comic relief? Because that's my job." she bumped shoulders with me, laughing.

"Ron, I think, has the job of moral support. When he's not being a prat, anyway." She frowned.

"Is he a prat often?"

"Not exactly, but when he is, it's bad." She laughed sourly. "There was the whole fiasco at the Yule Ball last year, for example."

"I remember," I commented, nodding. "But don't worry - it's not just you. He's a prat to anything that moves."

She opened her mouth to respond, but Milly returned with a tray of hot chocolate, eggs, pancakes, the works. My mouth watering, I took the tray as Hermione expressed her thanks - a bit more than necessary, I'd say - and set it on the table. Immediately taking a sip of cocoa, I smiled.

"They have outdone themselves." Hermione nodded in agreement before grabbing a fork and diving in hungrily. I grinned at her apparent Weasley appetite, and she rolled her eyes at me.

"Tell Ron about this and I will personally murder you." I put my palms up, laughing, before joining her.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm so sorry I left you all for so long. I got really busy with school (junior year is hard) and so of course I didn't have a lot of time to write. I tried to make up for it with this chapter, though. It's 1200 words and I think it has a lot of progression present, and we are finally presented with a problem so the plot can continue for several more chapters. So, this is the fifth chapter...I'm going to do at least ten. Hopefully fifteen or more, but we'll see where the story ends. I won't drag it on to stupid lengths just to complete a goal. I'll just start a new story! Haha.  
Anyway, here you go. Sorry again about the wait.

xx

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FALLING IN LOVE WITH HERMIONE GRANGER

Hermione

We stayed in the kitchens for a couple hours, munching on the tray Fred had ordered. He continued to make me laugh and I couldn't help but notice him looking at me even when we weren't talking.

I smiled to myself as we turned around the corner of the corridor to face the Fat Lady. His arm was draped over my shoulder casually, and he was in the middle of some joke. I wasn't really paying attention though - his arm was like fire against my neck and arms. Entertaining this thought, my face began to heat up and I quickly stepped forward out of his arm without thinking. He immediately stopped, a worried look crossing his face.

"'Mione? Are you okay?"

"Yes - well - yes. Yeah, I'm fine." I shook my head at him, pulling a smile to my lips again. "What was the rest of that joke?"

"I already finished it. Are you sure you're alright?" He stepped in front of me, his hands on my elbows. Feeling the fire against my skin again, I slowly brought my eyes up to meet his.

"Yes, Fred, I'm fine," I responded softly. But I knew I wasn't. I had never felt anything for any guy - much less Fred - and wasn't sure how to respond. I blinked at him, noticing each freckle and how they stood out against the pale tone of his face. My eyes followed them up his sharp nose and to his eyes, which were darting back and forth as he examined my face, much as I was his.

His eyes slowly dragged down from mine and I knew what they were resting on. I cautiously licked my lips, my heart in my throat as my eyes dropped down to his. His throat bobbed as he swallowed nervously, his hands moving from my elbows to my waist, pulling me in slowly.

"Positive?"

"One hundred percent." And with that, his lips came crashing down on mine, soft but pressing roughly against mine as I met him fully. My hand had just tangled itself in his hair when a girl opened the portrait hole, wearing a towel around herself and her bag of toiletries in her hand. She squeaked and quickly backed up and into the common room before I could tell who it was, leaving Fred and I standing there awkwardly, in a kissing position but not kissing. I gently pulled my hands off of him and stepped back, muttering the password to the Fat Lady and leaving him standing there alone.

Fred

I followed Hermione in after a moment, bewildered and surprised. I hadn't expected her to kiss me - much less a week after the dare was started - but found myself touching my lips, trying to pull the memory back. She had obviously been new, but tasted sweet and exactly how I thought a bookish, beautiful, frizzy-haired girl would taste. I licked my lips again, attempting to catch some hint of what had just happened, because I was seriously having difficulty believing it. My heart still pounded and I could still feel her body against mine - nope, not going there.

I stumbled up the stairs to the boys' dormitory, entering the room that George, Lee and I slept in. The lazy runts were still in their beds, so I pulled out my wand and used a charm that emitted a loud, even tone. They sat straight up, so I plopped down on my bed, facing away from them.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" George demanded, rubbing his face with his hand.

"It's seven-thirty in the morning, Fred. Class doesn't start until eight-thirty. Go back to sleep." Lee mumbled, leaning back into his pillows, the adrenaline from the charm wearing off.

"We kissed," I said lightly, and the two of them were immediately alert and wide-eyed.

"You did? You and Granger?" Lee asked in disbelief, pushing his dreadlocks out of his face.

"No, me and Snape." I threw a pillow off my bed at him.

"Was just asking," he mumbled, tossing the pillow back at me.

I looked to George, who was strangely silent as he assessed my post-Hermione-kiss. I raised my eyebrows at him. "So do I get the candy?"

"A kiss isn't exactly a profession of love, m'boy." He grinned at me.

"It's a profession that she is turned on by my boyish good looks. That's pretty damn close to love."

"That's pretty damn close to a smut novel, Gred. All kiss and no plot? Where's the fun in that?"

"Off-topic, George." Lee cut in before turning to me. "Why exactly do you want this to be over so quickly? You have a good while before she loves you, might as well snog her senseless while you can."

"Mate, c'mon. Don't be like that." I threw the pillow at him again, feeling very much like a teenage girl at a sleepover. "She's nice. Really nice." I touched my lips again before remembering I was in front of two males and dropped my hand.

"So you want out why? She could be a real relationship, Freddie." Lee asked me, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"When have I ever had a real relationship? All I ever do is use a girl to complete a dare and then leave her. I never get attached and I never let it last longer than it has to to finish the challenge. That way she's left viewing me as a nice memory and not an arse. So give me the damn candy."

George reached under his pillow and pulled out the Honeyduke's sack and tossed it at me. I caught it with one hand, scrunching my eyebrows together. "Dude, under the pillow, really?" He shrugged at me.

"I agree with Jordan here though, mate. I think you like her."

I was silent for a moment, contemplating the truth. "Regardless, she knows I don't take relationships seriously. It wouldn't work out." I checked the clock. "We have forty minutes to class. I'm going to go shower; I'll see you lot at breakfast."

Hermione

On my way back to my dorm from the showers with thirty minutes until class, I stopped by Ginny's room with the sudden urge to borrow perfume. As I was about to knock, though, I heard Lavender's voice carrying through the hall.

"I swear to God, they were kissing. Mad snogging session, right in front of the Fat Lady!"

"Oh my God, you're serious. Why her? Just last month he was all over Angelina. For the second time."

"I don't know, but it was so strange. Will you tell Padma today when you see her?"

"Of course I will. I'm sure she'll have some reason for it…"

I leaned against Ginny's door, sighing. Soon the whole school would know what had happened, and I would probably receive unwanted attention - especially from the numerous girls at Hogwarts who wished to be Fred's plaything. Sighing again, I ignored the perfume and went to my dormitory, where Parvati and Lavender's beds were empty. I collapsed on my own, my head in my hands.


End file.
